The birdwing pearlymussel (''Lemiox rimosus'') is a rare species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. This aquatic

bivalve Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...

is native to Tennessee and Virginia in the United States. Its range has declined over 90%.''Lemiox rimosus''.
The Nature Conservancy. It is a federally listed

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

of the United States. This mussel remains in three rivers in Tennessee and Virginia, the Duck, Clinch, and Powell Rivers, having been extirpated from many more. It is now extinct in the state of Alabama. Failed efforts to transplant the birdwing pearly mussel and the

Cumberland monkeyface pearly mussel ''Theliderma intermedia'', the Cumberland monkeyface pearly mussel or Cumberland monkeyface, is a species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. This aquatic bivalve mollusk is native to Tennessee and Virginia in the ...

, also endangered, to local streams brought an end to construction on the half-completed and long-contested Columbia Dam on the Duck River in 1983.

References

Natural history of Tennessee Natural history of Virginia Lemiox Bivalves described in 1831 Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque ESA endangered species Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Unionidae-stub